In conventional turbomachines, a casing may be provided separate from an internal assembly, such as a compression assembly, which is commonly referred to as a “bundle.” The bundle of the turbomachines may often include impellers, seals, balance pistons, bearings, rotary shafts, and the like, and the casing may be configured to receive and support the bundle. To properly assemble the turbomachines, the internal assembly (e.g., the bundle) must be supported at or near its center of gravity to maintain its orientation, alignment, and/or position relative to the casing. Improper support of the internal assembly at or near its center of gravity may cause the internal assembly to engage or contact an inner surface of the casing, which may result in damage (e.g., galling) to the casing and/or the internal assembly. Some conventional turbomachines may utilize axially separated casing portions (e.g., upper and lower casing portions). In other turbomachines, the casing may not be separated into the upper and lower casing portions. Instead, the casing may only have open axial ends (e.g., radially split casings), and the turbomachines may be assembled via the axial insertion of the internal assembly via the open axial ends.
In turbomachines utilizing the separated casing portions (e.g., the upper and lower casing portions), external vertical supports may often be utilized to properly support the internal assembly at or near its center of gravity. However, in turbomachines where the casings only have the open axial ends, utilizing the external vertical supports may not be practical or possible. For example, during the axial insertion of the internal assembly via the open axial ends of the casing, portions of the internal assembly (e.g., portions disposed in the casing) may be inaccessible. The inaccessibility may prevent the internal assembly from being properly supported at or near its center of gravity.
In view of the foregoing, the turbomachines may often use internal supports disposed about and coupled with the internal assembly to facilitate the axial insertion of the internal assembly via the open axial ends. The internal supports may be configured to support the internal assembly and maintain the orientation, alignment, and/or position of the internal assembly relative to the casing during the assembly of the turbomachines. The internal supports, however, may often require constant manual adjustment and access to both axial ends of the internal assembly via both of the open axial ends of the casing. However, in turbomachines where the casing may only provide a single open axial end, or where only one of the axial ends is accessible, the manual adjustment may not be possible.
What is needed, then, is a turbomachine including a support assembly capable of supporting an internal assembly in a casing having a single accessible axial end.